Amtrak officials said on Friday evening that they expect service into Penn Station to resume at 5 a.m. on Saturday, and that the tunnel has been cleared for use.
Long Island Rail Road service remained disrupted on Friday, and some trains are still being diverted from Penn Station to Grand Central Terminal.
On Friday evening, there was limited eastbound service at Penn Station for the commute and no westbound service to Penn Station.
Despite the repairs following the fire, LIRR service will likely remain impacted this weekend after union leaders and the MTA failed to reach a deal on a new contract at the Saturday midnight deadline.
Crews responded to the fire just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday on 31st Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues.
This happened in a section of the tunnel owned by Amtrak linking Penn Station to Jamaica that is currently undergoing repairs following Superstorm Sandy.
At least one train was filled with smoke, and power to multiple tracks had to be shut down. Thankfully, no one was injured, as the FDNY says they are still trying to determine the cause.
"There was a major fire in Penn Station, just east of the station itself in the tunnels, which burned cables that provided power to signals and switches," said LIRR President Rob Free. "Amtrak was unable to throw the switches and display signals. It's their tunnel, they are responsible for maintaining it, which prevented train service from operating."
Free said that without Grand Central Madison, people would have been stranded in Manhattan.
"People were able to now take a short subway ride over to Grand Central Madison and continue their journey east to get home," he said. "It's a great advantage to have Grand Central Madison, customers were able to move."
The MTA says to make sure to check your train status for delays, reroutes, and cancellations.
Follow the latest service updates below:
LIRR service
The subway is cross-honoring LIRR tickets:
NJ Transit service
Rail service is subject to up to 30-minute delays into and out of Penn Station New York, due to ongoing Amtrak repairs resulting from an earlier fire east of Penn Station New York.
NJ Transit Midtown Direct service continues to be diverted into Hoboken Terminal. NJ Transit rail tickets and passes are being cross honored by NJ Transit and private carrier bus and PATH at Newark Penn Station, Hoboken and 33rd Street, New York.
Amtrak service
Amtrak delays could be expected.
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